Hariyali Teej Festival: Significance, Rituals, Date and Celebrations
Hariyali Teej, also known as Shravani Teej or Sindhara Teej, is a vibrant festival celebrated by women during the holy month of Sawan (Shravan). It falls on the Tritiya (third day) of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Shravan.
The festival is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva and celebrates their divine union. It is especially significant for married women, who observe a fast and pray for the long life, health, and well-being of their husbands, as well as for marital harmony and family happiness. Unmarried women also keep the vrat seeking a suitable life partner.
The name “Hariyali” means greenery. The festival coincides with the monsoon season when nature turns lush and green, adding to the joy and freshness of the celebrations.
Spiritual Significance
According to Hindu tradition, Goddess Parvati performed intense penance for many years (often described as 108 births or years) to win Lord Shiva as her husband. Pleased with her unwavering devotion, Shiva accepted her as his consort. Hariyali Teej commemorates this sacred union and the ideal of devoted, lifelong companionship.
The festival symbolises love, commitment, fertility, and the strength of marital bonds. It is also a celebration of womanhood, nature’s abundance, and the arrival of the monsoon.
## Rituals and Observances
Women wake up early, take a purifying bath, and dress in green attire — the signature colour of the festival. Green bangles, mehendi (henna), sindoor, and traditional jewellery form part of the solah shringar (sixteen adornments).
Main practices include:
- Observing a fast (nirjala or phalahar, according to capacity and tradition).
- Worshipping Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati with flowers, fruits, sweets, incense, kumkum, rice, and items associated with suhaag (marital bliss).
- Offering bilva leaves to Shiva and suhaag items (mehendi, sindoor, bangles, red or green chunri) to Parvati.
- Listening to or reading the Hariyali Teej Vrat Katha.
- Performing aarti and seeking blessings for marital happiness.
Married women often visit their parental home. Parents send a traditional gift package called Sindhara (or Sinjara) containing sweets (especially ghewar), mehendi, bangles, clothes, and other items to their married daughters and in-laws. This custom gives the festival its alternative name, Sindhara Teej.
Swings (jhoolas) are set up under trees, and women gather to sing traditional Teej songs, apply mehendi, and enjoy the festive atmosphere.
Fasting Rules
Many women observe a strict nirjala (waterless) fast from sunrise to the next morning. Others follow a phalahar fast, consuming only fruits, milk, and light fasting foods. The fast is broken after the evening or next-day puja, depending on family tradition. Expectant mothers, the elderly, and those with health concerns may observe a lighter form of the vrat.
Celebrations Across Regions
Hariyali Teej is widely celebrated in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, and other parts of North India. In Rajasthan it is also known as Shingara Teej, and grand processions of Goddess Parvati are organised in some places. In Punjab the festival is known as Teeyan. Cultural programmes, folk songs, and community gatherings add to the festive spirit.
The Deeper Message
Hariyali Teej is more than a celebration of marital bliss. It is a reminder of the power of sincere devotion, patience, and the enduring bond between Shiva and Parvati. By observing the fast and participating in the rituals, women renew their prayers for harmony in relationships and express gratitude for the greenery and abundance that the monsoon brings.
The festival beautifully blends devotion, nature, and the joy of togetherness, making it one of the most colourful and heartfelt observances of the Sawan month.
How the date is fixed
Hariyali Teej falls on the Tritiya tithi of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Shravan (Sawan). The exact Gregorian date is determined by the presence of this tithi according to the traditional Hindu Panchang.